Massive Sponge Gardens Discovered on top of Seamounts in the Arctic Ocean

Sponges are animals with dense, porous skeletons. They are one of the most basal forms of animal life. These creatures are adaptable and successful in their environments. Sponges accommodate different organisms in a symbiotic relationship. Massive sponge gardens on top of seamounts in the Central Arctic Ocean were recently discovered by scientists from Bremen, Bremerhaven, and Kiel during an expedition.

The sponge gardens appeared to feed on the remnants of extinct fauna. Alongside the microorganisms that this community of sponges has a symbiotic relationship with, they exploit the fluffy fauna as a source of food and energy. This discovery by scientists has revealed how sponges adapt to the most nutrient-poor environment. “Our ana­lysis re­vealed that the sponges have mi­cro­bial sym­bionts that can use old or­ganic mat­ter. This al­lows them to feed on the rem­nants of former, now ex­tinct in­hab­it­ants of the seamounts, such as the tubes of worms com­posed of pro­tein and chitin and other trapped de­tritus,” Teresa Mor­ganti, one of the members of the team, said.

 Image credit: Alfred Wegener Institute/PS101 AWI OFOS system

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